Stay Committed to Your Goals by Registering Early for Upcoming Races
So here it is only September 2017 and I’ve already registered for two races in 2018 — Warrior Dash and Spartan Super. Why? Well, (1) because I love this stuff, (2) because I don’t want to give myself any wiggle room to slip out of my goals, and (3) it saves me money. 🙂 But most importantly it keeps me on track and gives me something to look forward to, get excited about, and train for. To sum it up, it gives me a purpose. I think it’s important for everyone to have a sense of hope and purpose at all times. Without hope, we have nothing, and without a purpose we are nothing. Regardless of whether it’s family, work, religion, etc., we all need a purpose to feel validated. While there are many other things in my life that give me hope and purpose, obstacle course racing for me is a growing passion that gives me something to look forward to and strive for. I truly enjoy the challenge each race presents to me – physically and mentally.
I would suggest signing up as soon as you hear that registration is open for a particular race. As previously stated, signing up early will also save you money with the early bird registration prices. For instance, the current price on the Spartan site is $104. After you add in the required $14 for insurance and $10 for parking, etc., your total starts getting up there fast. I registered with an early bird 25% off coupon I received in email and my total price was $105.80 for everything. That’s a stark difference to the $180 I paid in May of this year, just a week before the race. So the earlier you register, the more money you will save.
The other aspect to early registration is that it will give you a timeline for your training, actually let you put a date on the calendar, and have a goal in mind. Once you’ve got your race date, then start planning out your training. If you have weaknesses, then spotlight them and focus on improving in that area over a series of weeks. While the races are open to anyone, and of any fitness level, the reality is that if you can’t do a single pull-up, then you’re going to have trouble on any obstacle course. Pull-ups are essential to getting yourself over any wall, and walls are generally pretty abundant in the races. You’ll always find someone who is willing to help you over the wall (teamwork and camaraderie are highly encouraged), but you also don’t want to be that person that is holding up the group on every obstacle.
So to get started, identify your weak points and plan your training to address them. Burpees and air squats are two excellent exercises I would suggest adding to your workout plan. Besides that, I would suggest getting out and doing some running (or on a treadmill). There could be a mile or more stretch in between obstacles, so you need to be prepared to run some, but walking is okay too when you’re tired. Get to where you can do all of those exercises consistently and you’ll be in better shape come race day. As you progress, you can get creative and start adding in other exercises of your own design. I’ve included a video of one of my exercises I like to do, just to give you an example. It’s Bosu squats combined with Kettlebell Lunges. This one really hits legs and core and gives you a good burn. I’m sure you’ll be coming up with your own crazy routines in no time at all. Bottom line… the better shape you are in, the better you’ll feel. Your overall enjoyment level and sense of accomplishment from the races will significantly increase.
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